Wine Reviews

The 2015 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso Il Bugiardo is a very exuberant, very full and fruit-forward wine. Showing ripe, sweet and dark fruit with sweet spice at the end, this would spread holiday cheer with a pumpkin ravioli. The wine has a silky-smooth texture, with a nice entry into the mouth, all framed by soft tannins. This Valpolicella sees only a light appassimento and a partial ripasso in small barrels.

The 2017 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso Il Bugiardo displays an inviting mix of blackberries, sage, roses, chalk dust and hints of camphor. This is full-bodied with depths of silky textures and a dense core of dark fruits and minerals that are not quite ready to reveal all of their charms. The 2017 has a bit of a monolithic feel today, yet it’s also perfectly balanced, with a structure that can carry it for many years in the cellar – which would be advisable to allow it to unwind a bit.

This leads with an explosion of dark cherries and vanilla. Then come spices and earth. Dense and complex, but showing polish and form. Full-bodied, very structured and long on the finish. Drink from 2023.